I think you put in less during the high season because you're supposed to be preparing during the low season so that once you hit the high, you're all ready to compete. During the start of the high season, skaters have already done their program a million times in practice and now it's time to work the kinks out in competition and maintain their level of skating. The high season isn't really used to work on everything everyday; it's more to maintain your level, compete, and make your program as best you can. Rarely ever do skaters learn new things during the high season unless it will go into their program and add more points. A lot of that work is done during the low season so that when the high season comes, they can shine!

Yeah, I was once confused by this myself, then I thought about it. It makes sense though to practice more in the low season. I myself as a skater, skate everyday in the summer, and skate only 4 days a week in the winter.

Why would some skaters put fewer hours in of practice during the high season? I am using Sasha as an example:

low season: 18 hours at Aliso Viejo, CAh / week

high season: 24at Aliso Viejo, CAh / week

Wouldn't you put more in during a high season?

with more hours, comes more chances to injure yourself... in band and drama we never went all out during the days leading up to the performance, we went through everything line and music, but with very little action on the part of the drama and with little crescendo/excitement in band because that's when the injuries would occur... (yes you can get injured in band, I did! LOL)